


The Caroler

by azriona



Series: Advent Calendar Drabbles 2015 [23]
Category: Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Advent Calendar Drabble, Crack, Gen, it goes ding when there's stuff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-23
Updated: 2015-12-23
Packaged: 2018-05-08 10:37:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 448
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5494139
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/azriona/pseuds/azriona
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Rose and the Doctor find a Caroler.  You'd think they'd have learned by now.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Caroler

**Author's Note:**

> Day 23 of the Advent Calendar Drabbles for 2105. Today I'm presenting a bonus story for the prompt "caroling". All credit for the idea goes to my husband, who excels at random.

“It’s the Caroler, Rose,” said the Doctor, and he pointed to the words stenciled on the side of the large metal box that sat in the middle of the room.  “Says so right there.”  


Rose sighed a long-suffering sort of sigh.  “Okay,” said Rose, “but Doctor, what does it _do_?”

 

“No idea,” said the Doctor cheekily, “sings carols, most likely. Fancy a song, Rose?”

 

He walked over to the Caroler, all swishing coat and fabulous hair, and switched the thing on.

 

The entire box began to rumble and shake a little before settling into a persistent vibrating hum.  The Doctor stepped back to stand next to Rose, and together they watched the device’s lights flash and twinkle in what was clearly a very strange sort of pattern.

 

And then, just as a bit of smoke began to drift up from the device’s control panel…

 

“Hello! I’m Carol!” said the woman who popped out of the machine.  She smiled cheerfully and waved, before going to inspect the room around her.

 

“She’s not singing, Doctor,” said Rose, but even as she said it, another woman popped out of the machine.

 

“Hello, I’m Carol!” said the new woman, who looked and sounded exactly like the first.

 

“No, she’s not singing,” said the Doctor, watching as yet another Carol popped out of the machine (“Hello, I’m Carol!”).

 

“Maybe we’re getting an entire chorus?” wondered Rose, as Carol #5 appeared. Carols 1-4 were busily wandering about the room, introducing themselves and commenting on each other’s hair.

 

“A chorus of Carols,” said the Doctor with a grin.  “That would be lovely, don’t you think?”

 

(Carols #6, #7, and #8.)

 

“Er,” said Rose, watching as the Carols’ smiles turned a _little_ less friendly, and their introductions became a _little_ less cheerful.

 

(Carols #9 – #12.)

 

“Doctor,” said Rose, a bit nervously.  “I think the Carols are coming out of the Caroler a bit faster.”

 

“I’ll just go turn it off,” said the Doctor.

 

But every step he took, there was a Carol in the way. (“Hello, I’m Carol.  Hello, I’m Carol.  _Hello, I’m Carol._ ”)

 

“Uh, Rose,” said the Doctor, his eyes going slightly manic and wide, the way the usually did when things started going pear-shaped.  “I think we have a problem.”

 

(Carols #18 – #24.)

 

“You think?” asked Rose dryly, as the Carols bumped into her over and over.  The Doctor wasn’t faring much better, either.

 

(“Hello, I’m Carol!  _Hello, I’m Carol! **Hello, I’m Carol!**_ ”)

 

(Carols #27 – #34.)

 

“Can you make your way to the door, Rose?”

 

(“ ** _HELLO, I’M CAROL_**!”)

 

“Maybe?”

 

_**(“HELLO, I’M CAROL!”)** _

 

The Doctor nodded at Rose, grinning from ear to ear, just as the Carols bared their sharp teeth and turned.

 

“Excellent.  _Run!_ ”

 


End file.
